Eat My Cake and Sew it Too

The lovely and beautiful Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network have officially declared today, July 28, 2013, Let Us Sew Cake Day. This group is a wonderful and talented bunch of sewists that I have met through the blogosphere and they constantly have such great sewalongs, ideas and meet-ups.So, in honour of this prestigious day, I have sewn Cake Patterns Cabarita Knit Top as well as eaten the better part of an entire sugar flower covered cake! Wisely, I coordinated my cake with my Cabarita Top, because to not have done so, would have been rather gauche. I love the collar piece as well as the v-neck back of this knit top. It really elevates a T-shirt into dressed up wear, so simply and easily. The back is also drafted to be cut on the bias and Steph recommends to keep it that way so that it hugs the curves of your back. My fabric was on the thicker side and quite crisp, so I did not interface the cabarita front collar piece, but would have if I had used a softer and flowy fabric.

The only alteration I made was to narrow both the front and back sleeve by removing 5/8″ (1.5cm) from the bottom of each sleeve. I had to then shorten the sleeve binding accordingly. This way, the sleeve hugged my arm perfectly. It’s easy to figure out a custom measurement for you, simply by measuring your bicep, around where the sleeve ends.

The only thing I would do differently next time, is to attach the sleeve binding after I had sewn the side seams. The patterns calls for you to attach it first, but I find it more difficult to line up the cuff at the seams that way and also, any seam finishing you do, may be more visible since it extends down to the bottom of your cuff.

I like how the front rolled collar and V-neck back really bring the emphasis up to your face and upper half. If you used contrasting sleeve and neck bindings and collar piece or reversed the stripes in a striped fabric, this would play it up even more. The next one I make, I’d like to try contrasting pieces.The V-neck back is very streamlining and I really enjoy the surprise of it and the symmetry it provides my back.

One of the unique aspects of this pattern is that you ‘draft’ your own size based on your bust, waist and hip measurement. I chose to make mine with zero ease and using my exact measurements, but you can also choose to give it more ease by selecting a larger measurement for each area.

And, you’ve seen him lurking around in the background of the above pics, but it’s likely no surprise that Kitty also enjoys Cake.I highly recommend to eat your cake and sew it too!!

I was also recently interviewed by Mel at A Curious Kiwi for Indie Pattern Month. Check out her post, here. Thanks Mel!

Hi, thanks Anne!! Actually, this isn’t the fabric I had chosen for this top. I had bought a modern abstract leopard print. And, received this fabric free from a sewing course I was taking, so decided to make a muslin out of it. And then, when I finished it, I loved it! So, sometimes, the fates know better. 🙂

Thanks Brooke!! And, I know. When I was compiling the pics for the blogpost, I kept saying, ‘oh, there’s Kitty’, ‘and there he is again’, etc. and then……Kitty made no excuses for enjoying the eating kind of cake. Well, his name was on it!

Thank you so much Alyss, for your compliments and your support! It’s a good Cake Day!! And, I have more than half a cake left if you’d like to fly over and take a piece!

I did get a haircut! It reminds me of Vidal Sasson in the 1970’s combined with Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. 🙂 So, I love it, but wonder if folks are ready for it to surface here in 2013. Everybody seems to be sporting some form of a bob (which I talked my hairdresser out of and got this), but I guess it is my head and hair isn’t it? 🙂 Glad you like it.

I love it! It really suits your face and compliments your eyes. The best part of hair is it grows back so you can experiment all you want, IMO, knowing you can always change it. I’m struggling with the bangs growing out phase right now. Urgh! I would love to fly over, join you eating a slice of cake, give kitty a good scratch behind the ears and talk sewing. Alas, no extra cash for a Leer jet.

Oh, so glad you love it! I think it depends where I roam as to the response I get. High school mall going dwellers do not seem to give it the thumbs up. Luckily, for me! 🙂 Too bad, you can’t come and eat some cake. Kitty and I have now devoured almost half of it, and I am starting to vibrate. #Sugar (I will be off to the neighbours bearing cake in a few hours….)

Thank you Amy! The pattern was quite easy to work with. There are no pictures with the instructions, so it is not for a complete beginner, but the steps are very straightforward so if you’ve sewn before, they are easy to follow.

ooooh – I think I need to check this pattern out, I am a 100% t-shirt person – it has to stretch, it has to be comfortable, but good to find something more than a basic T from time to time… Yours looks really lovely, perfect cake eating attire, and Kitty looks very restrained in his cake eating, my dog would be much more voracious!

Thank you!! I wore it today and it is indeed as comfy as a T-shirt, no doubt. Yes, Kitty is quite aggressive when it comes to demanding food, but, once he gets it, he does display a tremendous amount of tact and delicacy.

I love it!! It originally woo’d me because I didn’t think it was a knit- now I must get over my vague knit fears and have one myself. I see that you are so obviously the star here that even Kitty is letting you be the focus!

Thanks Anne! This pattern was very easy to sew, and the particular knit I used was on the thicker side and very crisp, so did not even roll at the edges or get pulled into the feed dogs. Try to find a knit like that and it will make sewing with them pretty effortless. Kitty was only hanging back, biding his time to swoop in and eat cake…

I am a huge fan of Cake Patterns and this top. I just wrote a post about my two Cabaritas as well. Such a fun print you chose. I have done stripes and a solid, maybe now I need a print? Gillian would be so proud of me. http://wp.me/p3HVTK-8O

Thank you! The pics were fun to assemble in the collage maker and I used ‘effects’ this time, oooooh! But, I do believe there is something wrong with the ‘auto-picture taking’ setting on the camera as all of those pics were very grainy, but when I took them manually of Kitty and the top, in the same lighting, they were fine.

Everything is positively romantic and pretty. I like the collar a lot. It really looks perfectly fitted, what a good job you’ve done. Your post pictures were so cute too with the flower frames and Kitty snacking on cake and your Teacups. Loved it all including your new hair-do, smashing.

Thank you very much Boomdee! I coordinated everything, top fabric, tea set, cake, threads…..oh, I just thought of something, I should have put Kitty in a coordinating collar! (Hey, did you see my last post of Kitty and I at the beach? Something tells me you will really like those pics of Kitty 🙂 )

Thanks Shannon! I like how the V-neck is on the back as usually they are on the front. Although the top is supposed to be reversible, so you could wear it the other way round. Kitty loves you too. But, he likely won’t share his cake with you….

I love cake! (I don’t love icing, and will gladly skip it.) Now I want to bake… I also love Cake patterns. When I am done with this strict fabric/pattern diet in autumn, I will be getting more. Until then, I have to live vicariously through you!

I wish you could have been at the cake party as well. There certainly was plenty of cake, in all its forms. Thanks for your compliments, I like the top as well but not sure if I’ll be leaving my hair this way or growing it out slightly.

I’ve got the Cabarita top pattern, but not tried it yet. I love your version, it goes perfectly with your cake 🙂 He he, honestly, the colours and the fit are fantastic. I really must put one together. The fabric is really pretty. Really glad you could join in our Cake party.

Thank you so much Nikki! I tried very hard to coordinate the top, cake and tea set and even threw some coordinating thread spools in there. I like the pattern as you can draft your own custom fit size so that’s why I was able to make it fit so well. I can’t wait to see your version. And I was thrilled to be able to virtually join your Cake party. 🙂

What a cute top! I love the collar. And such a fun photo shoot, I always enjoy your pictures so much. Of course Kitty thought the cake was for him, it looks like a birthday cake so maybe he thought it was his birthday? Your new hairdo looks great, it suits you very well and makes your eyes pop.

Thanks Elise! I’m having a lot of fun with my photos using the collages and filters. And, if you look closely, the cake actually says “Kitty” on it in purple icing. So…. Glad you like the new hairdo. I like it but also am waffling back and forth on it.

I looove the fabric you used, very pretty and a great colour on you! 🙂 I also love the sneaky pic of Kitty having some icing, they’ll try anything those kitties! Harri’s new favourite is mashed potato! I bought the Cabarita pattern too, hopefully it’s a more straight forward fit for me than the Tiramisu – I was thinking about altering the collar so it also follow the v down the back, hmm… 🙂

Thank you Mel!! It’s definitely a happy print. And, you can’t stop Kitty, if Kitty wants cake, Kitty is going to have cake. At least he’s neat and dainty about it. I think you’ll find the Cabarita pretty straight forward, even without pictures to help. You mean make the front Cabarita Collar piece a V-Neck? That would be very cool! Or do you mean adding a second collar down the V-neck back? That would also be cool! Hmmm, maybe I’ll make a second top using one of those ideas.

Thank you Laurie! There is STILL cake left over if you’d like some 🙂 Even Kitty can’t finish it all. I wore the Cabarita today to Patternmaking class and was complimented on it by a fashion design student!

Thank you very much Kacie! I got this fabric free from a sewing course and this was supposed to be my muslin and I had an abstract leopard print for the ‘real thing’. But, after I sewed it up, I loved how it looked!

Wow, what a beautiful top! It fits you so perfectly. The neckline is so unique and looks amazing on you. I also think the top goes perfectly with the cake and tea. I love that the cake says kitty on it, but I’m so surprised that kitty is eating it! My cats always stay away from people food unless it’s raw meat (and sometimes cooked meat).

Thank you Kristin! I like the unique neckline, as well. Such a transformation from a simple T-shirt. What else could the cake possibly say on it? Kitty would have licked the icing off the whole cake if I hadn’t stopped him. Although, like your cats, his favourite is meat.

I love this version of the Carbarita, it’s gorgeous on you and that fabric is perfect! I sewed a Tiramisu, and loved the unusual sizing and construction, but haven’t tried another Cake pattern. You’ve convinced me that the Carbarita should be next!
Seriously great photoshoot 🙂

Thank You very much Angela! The Cabarita is pretty easy to sew and definitely comfortable, I think you’ll like it! I have not tried the Tiramisu yet. Glad you like the photoshoot, I’m attempting to become more creative with my photoshoot set-ups and picture formats. But, it’s difficult not to get a good photoshoot with Kitty and cake though, isn’t it?

This is the only Cake Pattern I’ve made, but can say it worked out very well. Thanks for your compliments!! And, yes, luckily waterborne Kitty is a floater. Otherwise, swimming at the beach might become rather ugly. 🙂

Thanks Chuleenan! I wanted to make it with stripes but had trouble finding proper knit jersey in stripes. I don’t think it should be too difficult as you can transfer your exact stripes onto the pattern pieces first, then lay it out on your fabric, lining up the stripes you drew and cut. I like that the stripes become chevrons on the back and emphasize the collar a lot more.